Ireland Cruise Ports
Dublin, Cobh, Belfast and the west coast — and what each port reaches in a day.
Get Ireland Cruise QuotesIreland and Northern Ireland by Cruise
For many North Americans, a British Isles cruise is also a homecoming: a chance to see the towns and counties their families came from. Ireland’s cruise ports reach most of the island’s highlights in a day.
| Port | Gateway to | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Dublin | Trinity College, Georgian squares, Guinness Storehouse, Wicklow | Dublin Port limits large cruise calls, so some ships use Dún Laoghaire instead |
| Cobh | Cork, Blarney Castle, Kinsale, the Titanic Experience | The last port of call of the Titanic in 1912 |
| Belfast | The Giant’s Causeway, Titanic Belfast, the Antrim coast | Northern Ireland is part of the UK |
| Galway | Connemara, the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren | Called at mainly by smaller ships, often by tender |
| Killybegs, Foynes and others | Donegal, the Shannon region | Appear on some small-ship itineraries |
Cobh and the South
Cobh is one of the most photogenic arrivals on any cruise: a hillside of painted houses below St Colman’s Cathedral. The town was the departure point for generations of emigrants and the Titanic’s last port of call, and its heritage center tells both stories. From Cobh, tours go to Cork city, Blarney Castle and the harbor town of Kinsale; longer days reach Killarney and the Ring of Kerry.
Belfast and the Giant’s Causeway
Belfast built the Titanic, and the Titanic Belfast museum stands on the slipways where she was constructed. The most popular tour, though, heads north along the Antrim coast to the Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage site of basalt columns, often with a stop at a coastal castle or distillery.
Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and uses the pound sterling; the Republic of Ireland uses the euro.
Dublin and the West
Dublin is compact and walkable, with Trinity College and the Book of Kells, St Stephen’s Green, the pubs of Temple Bar and the Guinness Storehouse. Day tours also reach the Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough. On the west coast, smaller ships that call at Galway open up Connemara, the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. If tracing family roots is part of your plan, tell your cruise advisor early; a private guide or a pre-cruise stay may suit better than a group tour.
Crossing Between Ireland and Northern Ireland
There are no border checks on the land border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, so tours from Belfast can dip into Donegal and tours from Dublin can reach the north. Remember that prices change currency at the border: euros in the Republic and pounds sterling in Northern Ireland, though cards work on both sides.
Plan Your Irish Ports
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